Monitoring your CPU usage isn't the most fun thing in the world, but when you're working with CPU intensive programs it's a necessity. If you're sick of flicking back-and-forth between programs to see how much power you're pushing, DIY blog Cuznersoft shows off a clever way to use LED lights to broadcast the CPU usage visually.

The goal of the project is to push CPU usage data to the a set of LED lights that change color depending on how hard the CPU is grinding away. The project itself is a little complicated, but all the details you need are all on Cuznersoft, including a full parts list, schematics, and software. Right now the software is only running on Linux, but a Windows port is in the works and the source code is provided if you want to tackle the port yourself. It's an interesting modification that not only makes your PC give you valuable information without requiring a trip into system tools, but also looks exceptionally cool. Hit up the post for the full details on making this for yourself.